WWII
GLIDER PILOTS
THE SILENT WARRIOR
Written
by:
Michael G. Skidmore
Michael G. Skidmore
mskids001@aol.com
(918-455-0808)
WW II GLIDER
PILOTS
FADE IN:
1 EXT. Lawrence Kansas, City Airport
- Day
It’s June 14, 1941 and a car turns onto a dusty road
towards the airport.
OVER, we hear the voice of Chuck Skidmore talking with
his college
Roommate Johnny Parker.
CHUCK
Well, today is the day I guess, I will
Take-off by
myself and land
Or I take off
and crash Land.
(They both Laugh….)
JOHNNY
Are you scared?
CHUCK
Yes some times, but Capt Wilkes my
Flying instructor says I am a good
Pilot and will do fine.
(Capt Wilkes is a WW1 veteran and a retired US air
mail pilot, who
Still wears his white WW1 flying scarf).
JOHNNY
I know I would be scared for sure,
Why do you want to fly anyway?
CHUCK
Well, after we graduate from KU next week
I report July
15, to King City
California for Air Cadet Training School
And 4 months later I will have
A Silver wing on my chest,
A set of bars on my shoulders,
with a girl on
each arm.
JOHNNY
Yes, but you can get the girls here in Lawrence.
Besides I thought you wanted to be a writer- editor
and
Work for a newspaper like your father. (CONTINUED)
1
2.
CHUCK
I did, but the flying is more exciting,
And the pay is better.
(They both look at each other and smile)
1A CHUCK’S POV
Standing in front of the
airport office is Capt Wilkes with his arms folded on his
Chest, He doesn’t look
happy.
CHUCK
Capt Wilkes is mad at me.
JOHNNY
For what?
CHUCK
His number one rule is “always be on time”
And I am 15 min late.
1B EXT. Aircraft sitting next to the office – Day
Capt Wilkes walks
towards the aircraft, then stops turns around.
CAPT WILKES
You going to solo today?
CHUCK
Yes Sir, I am ready
(Chuck walks towards him, takes his jacket off)
CAPT WILKES
Then let’s do this, you take off climb to 300 feet
Make a slow turn to the right over the river,
Then head back west, when you’re ready
- turn back into the wind and land.
1C EXT. DAY the aircraft makes it to the grassy
runway, powers up and
Slowly starts moving, gaining speed and then lifts into the air.
FADE IN:
Lawrence Kansas City
Airport:
camera moving towards the trainer
that is flying among some cumulus clouds and will continue the movement to the
trainer until both pilots are seen and can be head over the loud engine noise.
Wilkes:
Ok, put her in a steep climb, stall, and recover, don't forget
Wings level on pull out!
Chuck:
Yes, Sir!
The plane is shown to do a steep
climb, enter in to a stall and nicely recovers.
Wilkes:
Head back to the airport and land!
Chuck: (with a somewhat concern on his face)
Yes, Sir!
The camera shows plane on short
final and landing. The plane taxies back, and the Wilkes steps out of
plane.
Wilkes: Ok, Chuck, take her around
the field three times!
Chuck:
Yes sir!
As Chuck nodes his head and taxies
out.
Camera view.
Shows Chucks take off, close up
view of Chuck working the control and views final approach from pilot view,
plane stops and takes off again.
EXT.
DAY
Standing on the flight line, is CAPT Wiles and
Johnny.
Chuck taxies
back to the flight line.
Wilkes and Johnny both can
see a big smile on CHUCKS face.
As Chuck gets out of the plane, Johnny
runs up to meet Chuck and gives Chuck a big bear hug.
Johnny:
You did it man! You soloed!
EXT DAY Inside the Hangar Office,
CAPT WILKES signs CHUCKS
Airman’s
Certificate License and CHUCK
Fills out his log book.
CAPT WILKES
CHARLES Don’t you forget to write
Me and Let me know how
You’re doing in your Army Air cadet training.
CHARLES
I won’t and I want to thank you for all
You have done for me these past months.
(They shake hands and hug each other)
EXT DAY
CAPT WILKES waves to CHUCK and JOHNNY his college
Roommate at Battenfeld Hall – Kansas University.
As they drive
away down the
road and they
wave back.
(that afternoon Chuck
prepares for a 2 day train ride to
start his 10
weeks
Of primary Flying training at the Polaris Flight
Academy –
At War Eagle air field. This will be 60 hours of
flight
Time in a
Ryan PT 13 primary trainer and completing
His ground school courses, which included, math and
Navigation with daily physical training)
EXT. King City California Train Station - DAY
CHUCK
CHUCK’S POV
Chuck gets off the train and sees the sign (AAC
office),
He walks up to the window and a Staff Sergeant –
looking impeccably
Dressed in his uniform looks up.
STAFF SERGEANT
Need to see your orders
CHUCK
Sure is hot today
(CONTINUED)
STAFF SERGEANT .
. (He doesn’t look
up, stamps chucks orders, signs the copy)
Then he looks up and hands back the paper.
STAFF
SERGEANT
Walk to the end of the ramp and the bus will be
Leaving in 15 min to the Palo Alto Airport cadet
flight school.
NEXT,
We see chuck look
towards the end of the ramp.
Then we see the Staff
Sergeant get’s up from his chair and lean out the window and with
his index finger point’s,
down there.
LAST, we see chuck look down towards the end of
the ramp, then he looks back at the
Staff sergeant and with
his index finger he points, Got-cha and walks away.
At the Primary Pilot
training course Chuck would train in a
Stearman PT13 bi-plane and get 60-65 hours in the air before graduation.
9 weeks later
CHUCK
(Lights are out in the barracks and Chuck is under his
bunk
Writing a letter home to his parents, with his flash
light)
. EXT. BARRACKS - NIGHT
CHUCK
Dear Mom and Dad, I graduated today from primary
flight school and have
my orders to report September 29, at Moffett Field,
California for my
advanced training courses where I will be flying a PT-16,
it’s a plane with a 450 horsepower
engine in it. I
have some sad news to tell you,
my friend Shorty, the one from Texas was killed 2 days
ago
while landing. There was a cross wind when he tried to
land
and the wheels hit the ground hard and his plane
bounced and
cart wheeled and ended upside down
on him, and he broke his neck. He was so funny all the
time,
everyone including the training officers would tease
him all the time, asking how anyone that short
could get into
the air corps. He always was the
first in line
for anything. Everyman in the company,
including the camp
commander signed a card to be
sent to his parents.
Don’t worry about me,
I am being very safe and always listen to what
the instructor tells me. Your loving son Chuck.
______________________________________________________________________
5
weeks later Moffett field, California (CONTINUED)
Chuck is
given a flight requirement “Check Ride” and fails 5.
Skidmore- PV-
Leaving his training class bunk mate
Bob Maze, Skidmore walks out to his plane, passing other planes and trainees
talking to their ground crew....
Skidmore reaches his plane.
" Good morning Phil ( ground
crew finishing preflight )...looks like this is my day to stay in or get washed
out "
Phil:
Don't worry Skidmore, you'll do fine
and she's already to go "
Skidmore:
"Thanks Phil."
Phil:
" Looks like your instructor is
here , Mr. Marshall
Skidmore , PV, looks around and finds
Mr. Marshall putting on his parachute.
Scene: view of a Sterman PT-13 trainer.
Mr. Marshall:
" Mr. Skidmore, let's get on
board and see how you do"
Skidmore:
" Yes, Sir!"
Skidmore , some what concerned
expression, gets into the front cockpit and goes
thought the prestart check list before start.....
Skidmore: reads prestart check list
to himself........
" Throttle cracked, mixture full
forward, prop low pitch, mags off, master off, fuel on left tank,
stick moved in clock wise motion to check all surface controls.
Skidmore:
" Clear prop !"
Skidmore turns master on, engages
starter, prop turns four blades, Skidmore turns mags on engines comes to
life......
Instructor:
" Ok, Skidmore, let's taxi and see what you can do,
after take off, we'll head out Southwest to 4,000 feet and start off with two
60 degree turns left and right, maintain altitude and roll out on the same
heading
you entered your turns.
Skidmore
" Yes sir "
The take off scene shows some action
in side the cockpit, ie, throttle advice, stick and rudder movements, aircraft
lifting off....
" Name "
Ok, we're at 4,000, start your
turns......
Skidmore:
" Yes sir "
Skidmore's
PV.
Skidmore starts the left turn, having
trouble in turn with altitude, shot of altimeter closing altitude.
Name :
" You have to hold your altitude
! "
Skidmore:
PV....having trouble with right turn
as well......
Name:
" Skidmore ! head back to
the field ...."
Chucks classmate and friend Bud Hamer
and Bob Maze a class bunk mate are
standing in front of hangar 1 watching the horizon for Chuck’s plane to come in
view. Bud Hamer is another Kansas farm
boy from Parsons Kansas about 20 miles from Columbus where chuck lives.
PV: the cockpit of the plane: Chuck
has the field in view and starts his landing procedures.
Bud and Bob hear the planes motor and sees the plane dip
down thru the clouds just south of the airport, coming in from the west to land
on the field. Bud watches eagerly, he thinks to himself… looks good wings
level, the plane lands with a slight bounce and powers down making its way
towards the hangar area and comes to a stop.
HAMER
Bob, have you ever had Mr. Marshall
for any flying?
MARSHALL
Only on one flight and I didn’t like
it, He enjoys telling you how bad you’re doing, even when I thought I was doing
just fine.
HAMER
That’s too bad Skidmore had to get
him, he didn’t think Mr. Marshall likes him and that’s why he is always marking
him down for bad flying.
PV: Bud and Bob watches as Chuck gets
out of the plane and talks with the instructor and then signs the flight log,
the instructor gives chuck a paper and they part with Chuck walking towards Bud
and the instructor walking towards the flight tower building.
HAMER
Everything ok Skids. (Chucks
nickname).
SKIDMORE
Chuck isn’t smiling and takes off his
parachute and drops it on the ground in front of Bud.
MARSHALL
Well…. You make it? You passed didn’t
you? Thumbs up…
PV:
Bobs hands go up…..WHAT….what happen. Your flying looked just fine to
Bud and me.
SKIDMORE
No… he didn’t pass me, I get an
honorable discharge and leave tomorrow morning unless the Major overrules
him. Come with me, I am going to the
Majors office right now.
HAMER
What did the instructor say to you?
Scene: Bud picks up Chucks parachute
and the 2 men walk off towards the headquarters building.
SKIDMORE
The instructor said I didn’t have a
feel for the airplane and that he didn’t think I would make a good pilot with
any amount of flying time.
Bud waits outside the Majors office
for Chuck to reappear from his meeting.
SKIDMORE
Scene: From the look on Chucks face
Bud knows he didn’t make it.
Bud, Looks like you will be going on
without me, the Major said based on the instructors remarks, he would not
overrule him. I need to go over to the administration office and get my
Honorable discharge papers and travel voucher for my train ride home.
HAMER
Let’s go clean up and get some
dinner.
The mess hall that evening: SKIDMORE
I can’t imagine why we didn’t pass
paths at some time, were you at the football game when Columbus high school
beat Parsons 36 to 0 and they had the big fight at the end of the game.
Bud laughs…
HAMER
I played in that game that was a tuff
loss, Columbus had a really good team. I ended up under the pile with someone
standing on my head during the fight.
SKIDMORE
Bud have you received your orders?
HAMER
They were posted on the bulletin
board today, I am to report to Sheppard Air Force base in Texas in 5 days for
advanced Multi-engine training. I will miss you Skids, let’s try and stay in
touch.
__________________________________________________________________________
The next morning Chucks has his
luggage in hand and makes his good byes to his friend Bud and boards the bus
for the train station and the long train trip back home and an uncertain
future.
SKIDMORE
Bud you have been a good friend, I
hope things turn out for you Ok.
HAMER
You take care yourself you hear.
Little did Chuck ever think that in 5
weeks he would re-enlist in the Army Air force for the 2nd time in a
year as a bombardier cadet with the start of World War II.
______________________________________________________________________________Chuck
would be destine to cross paths with his friend Bud Hamer again in Sept 16,
1944 for the invasion of Holland mission .
. EXT,
WESTERN UNION OFFICE - TELEGRAM - DAY
CHUCK
Dad, washed
out of flying cadet training,
Arrive Columbus
Kansas by train
November 6,
7am, love Chuck
On December 7, 1941 Chuck
was home in Columbus Kansas, when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor-
On December 30, Chuck
would enlist in the Army Air Corps for the second time at Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, this time for bombardier training.
He was ordered to the Air Crew Replacement Training Center at Ellington
Field, Texas, for his initial training.
His training continued there until February 24 1942, at which point he
was transferred to Victorville Army Air Field, California, for advanced
training. He began training there on
February 28, 1942 as a member of an 80 man class. He failed to satisfactorily complete the
course and was eliminated as a trainee.
He was honorably discharged for the second time on April 25, 1942.
Shortly thereafter back at home in Columbus
Kansas, he was working for his father at the daily newspaper and read a Associated
Press wire about the Army needing Volunteers for the newly formed Air Force
Glider Program , Charles immediately
wired Washington DC, volunteering for the program.
On July 13, 1942, for the third time in a year
Chuck enlisted in the Army Air Force at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, this time as
a private. Eleven days later, on July
24, 1942, he was ordered to Sherman Field at Fort Leavenworth. He remained there until August 24, 1942 when
he received movement orders transferring him to the Lockbourne Army Air Base,
Ohio for pre-glider training.
On September 7, 1942, chuck and his classmates
were relocated to the glider pilot student pool at Randolph Field, Texas. Chuck remained at Randolph until October 6,
1942 when orders finally came through transferring him to the 21st
AAF Glider Training detachment at Pittsburg Kansas, for pre-glider training,
which was located a few miles from Chuck’s birthplace Columbus.
Chuck received 30 hours of
pre-glider training at Pittsburg, completing his flying requirements on
November 2, 1942. Chuck continued with
another 40 hours of elementary flight training and 15 hours of dead stick day
and night landings. Chucks class was
held at Pittsburg until December 28, 1942 because there no openings in a basic
training school. To pass the time the
students were given close order drill, daily calisthenics and classroom
instructions in military discipline and hygiene.
On January 3, 1942 chucks
detachment received orders transferring them to Vinita Oklahoma, assigning them
to the 27th AAF Glider Training Detachment. The following day they were assigned to
Class 43-3. Because no military
facilities were available the students were billeted in the courthouse annex in
town, a single story brick building that had been converted into an open bay
barracks to accommodate 200 students.
The student’s mess hall was a converted café in town. On January 4, 1943
Chuck and his classmates were promoted to staff sergeant, which helped their
morale considerably.
(CONTINUED)
Day 1
Glider Training – Burke Flying Service – Vinita Oklahoma .
( Basic glider
training at Vinita was conducted by Burke Flying
Service
under contract to the Army Air Force.
Ironically the airfield
Was located next to an insane asylum, a coincidence
that elicited a
Chuckle from the students. Glider students at Vinita received 30 hours
Of flight training in the Frankfort TG-1A, a civilian
glider known as
The “Cinema II”, and the three-place military TG-5, an
Aeronca
Defender that had been converted into a glider. Flight training took
Place at the airport, 3 miles north of the town. Chuck recorded
4 hours and 13 minutes in the TG-1a and 25 hours and
56 minutes
In the TG-5 while at Vinita. He successfully completed the flying
And ground school training on February 3, 1943. Four days later
on February 7,
he and his classmates were off to South Plains Army
Flying School at Lubbock, Texas, for advanced glider
training.)
.
EXT. Day training class arrive on the bus
NEXT,
men line up outside the bus for formation.
CHUCK
Hi my names CHUCK, what’s yours?
JOE
I’m Joe ……Wonder where the gliders are?
CHUCK
That’s them over there.
JOE
(Laughing) that’s nice, but those don’t have engines
in them….
CHUCK
What do you think a glider is?
JOE
We take off and fly to the battle,
then we turn
off the engine
and glide in and land so
they don’t hear us..
CHUCK
Where are you from, you volunteered and you
didn’t
know what you were going to be flying? (CONTINUED)
.
JOE .
I
am from West Virginia, Valley of the
4 Rivers, Franklin County ……but
how do we get off
The ground.
CHUCK
They attach a nylon rope and another plane
Pulls us off the ground and in the air.
JOE
Smiling…..another plane …with a big engine….
Is going to pull the glider up.
CHUCK
Yes, won’t it be exciting.
JOE
Do we have guns on the plane,
to shoot at the enemy?
CHUCK
No, but maybe you can use your 45 sidearm
And shoot at
them out the window.
The good news is, we do get a Parachute,
But I have heard that no
One has ever made it out of a glider and
Have the chute open before
You would hit the ground.
JOE
(Has a worried look on his face as they come to
attention)
(While Chuck was at Vinita it was not uncommon for
Gliders to be released
Prematurely because of broken tow lines. When this occurred the
Student pilot simply looked for an open field large enough
To accommodate the glider and landed there. On this day
While waiting his turn to fly, Chuck noticed one of
his
Classmates being towed off on a sole flight. The flight was brief
Because hardly had the Glider become airborne than
The tow rope broke. Because of the low altitude the pilot
Could only continue straight ahead and land, which in
this case
Was on the grounds of the insane asylum
(CONTINUED)
3 weeks into glider training
– .
EXT. OPEN FIELD DAY
student glider practice session
CHUCK
Who is flying?
SSgt STUDENT PILOT
I think its Joe’s turn
(The glider is
yanked off the grassy field and into the air.
Then
a load POP, the tow line has broken. The glider disappears beyond the trees. )
GLIDER – JOE and co-pilot
JOE
Oh no, the tow line has snapped,
look for a place to land… fast.
C0-Pilot
Watch the air speed.
JOE
I see a spot straight ahead.
C0-Pilot
Watch out for the tree tops…. There I see an open
Area straight ahead.
Watch it, were going to
Hit the trees.
(The Glider skims the tree
tops and heads for a empty grassy area on the grounds of a
large white building-The
Oklahoma State Insane Asylum, coming to a stop just short of hitting a elderly man
sitting on a bench, - The man is dressed in a white gown reading a newspaper
and causally turns around to see the front of the glider 2 feet from his bench,
he gets up and looks at the pilots through the cockpit window and smiles. As
the pilot gets out of the gilder to check for damage the elderly man in the
white gown is looking the glider over wing tip to wing tip.)
EXT. -
Asylum front yard – Day
ELDERLY MAN
Where is
your engine?
JOE
The planes I fly don’t have engines.
(CONTINUED)
ELDERLY
MAN
ELDERLY MAN (CONTINUED)
. (Motions towards
two hospital staff members) .
I have another one for you….Come on in Brother….
(On April 1, 1943 chuck was assigned to Class 43-8 and
the next day began
Advanced flight training in the big 15-place Waco
CG-4A glider. He
logged 48 minutes on his first flight with an
instructor. Gliders at
Lubbock were towed by twin-engine Lockheed C-60
Lodestars.
Chuck completed his flight and classroom training on
April 27, 1943,
Having logged a total of almost 16 hours and 22
landings in the CG-4A,
almost half of it as first pilot. He was discharged as a Staff Sergeant on
April 29
for the purpose of accepting an appointment as Flight
Officer on April 30, 1943.
The Flight
officer rank was new in the Army Air Corps, and was the equivalent to a junior
Grade warrant officer.
The pay was the same as a second lieutenant, with an 20%
pay for overseas duty.
The insignia of rank was an oval bar, the top surface of which
was Bristol
blue with a gold border around the edges and across the center of the bar.
Flight Officers were addressed as “Mister” rather than
by their rank. Of Course,
Glider pilots also received hazardous duty pay, i.e.,
flight pay, which amounted to
50% of one’s base pay.
Chuck looked resplendent in his officer’s pinks and
greens on graduation day. He
was in high spirits as he marched across the stage in
the base theater, saluted the
School commander, and was presented with his sterling
silver glider wings. He
Was now officially a glider pilot, a member of a very
unique group of fliers, and
proud of it.
Paragraph 59 of Personnel Orders No. 7, dated April 14, 1943, officially
Rated him a glider pilot, effective April 30, 1943,
and Paragraph 60 of the same
Order required him to participate in regular and
frequent flights upon entry into
active duty.
From that date forward, when someone ask him what the “G” in his
wings stood for, he usually
answered, “Guts.”
On April 30, 1943, special orders were issued
transferring the newly promoted Flight
Officer to Louisville, Kentucky, with the assignment
to the 27th Base Headquarters
And Air Base Squadron at Bowman Field. Officially, the base was known as the
Glider Pilot Combat Training unit (GPCTU), but
unofficially it was called the “Home
of the Winged Commandos.” Chuck would undergo additional flight
training at
Bowman and would be introduced for the first time to
ground combat training.
Because of the lack of CG-4A gliders for tactical
training it was necessary for glider
Pilots to train in light aircraft. Chucks first flight at Bowman was on May 11,
1943 in an
Aeronca L-3C in
which he logged three hours, half of it as first pilot. Dead stick spot
Landings were practiced regularly, frequently over two
sets of 50-foot barriers placed
Close together to teach glider pilots the technique of
short field landings. The object
Was to just clear the first barrier, land the glider,
and stop it before reaching the second
Barrier. When
glider pilots weren’t flying they were taking 20 mile hikes with full field
Packs, practicing hand-to-hand combat and learning
ground fighting tactics.)
(CONTINUED)
NOTE**** 1943 June Chuck
actually meets Norma at the Fountain Ferry park when
She is roller skating with
her best friend, chuck is on a pass from his ww2 glider pilots
Training at Bowman field.
. EXT.
American Legion Hall Dance -
Night JUNE 1, 1943
.
(
Chuck meets his soon to be wife Norma Lee)
. INT.
NIGHT - In line American Legion
Hall – Chuck and friend Leon
CHUCK
Leon, after a month of nothing, its
Wonderful to see so many girls in
One place isn’t it?
LEON
Man, you got that right.
. INT Dance line
CHUCK
Excuse me, you too girls by your selves?
GIRLS
Yes we are….My name is Norma and this is Betty
CHUCK
My name is Chuck, this is my friend Leon.
Would you like
to sit with us?
NORMA
Yes that would be nice, thank you
. INT Front Door
CHUCK
How much, I am paying for the girls.
. INT Table
NORMA
Wow, the music is really good tonight.
CHUCK
Let’s dance
CHUCK
Leon, when you catch the waiter, order
us a round beers…Ok.
CHUCK
Norma did you come here often?
NORMA
I try to come every week end, but my (CONTINUED)
.
NORMA
(CONTINUED)
.
Parents will only let me come if my
Girl friend is with me.
CHUCK
Where do you
live?
NORMA
I live about 3 blocks away…..Tell me what do you
Do in the Army?
CHUCK
I am in the Army Air Corps, I am a glider pilot.
NORMA
What’s a glider?
CHUCK
It’s a plane without a motor in it.
NORMA
Laughing……That’s a line I haven’t
Ever heard…..that’s funny.
What do you really do?
CHUCK
I really fly a glider, we take men and supplies
In, sometime’s behind enemy lines.
NORMA
And how do you do this without a motor in your plane?
CHUCK
Another airplane pulls us off the ground and takes
Us to where we need to be and then I disconnect the
Tow line and we glide in, so the enemy doesn’t hear
Us, or we hope the enemy doesn’t hear us….
See this silver wing on my chest, with the big “G”
that
Stands for Glider or some say it stands for Guts.
NORMA
Yes but isn’t that dangerous?
CHUCK
Yes
it can be, that’s why it’s for volunteers only. (CONTINUED)
.
CHUCK (CONTINUED) .
Besides its only dangerous if the enemy shoots at
me, and I try to land before they can see me.
That’s why they call us the “Silent Warriors”.
NORMA
You must be a brave person…..
CHUCK
Oh yes, very brave, handsome and strong……smiling…..
(The band is playing Glenn
Miller music and the dance floor is over filling -
Over the next 8 weekends many
spent at the Red Devil Tavern, just across from
Bowman Field or taking in
a movie Chuck and Norma are always together and after a very
Short courtships are
married on August 3, 1943. The couple set up housekeeping
at Norma’s Parents house
in New Albany for the duration of Chucks training.)
. EXT - DAY
. INT.
Cockpit
Chuck –Co Pilot and First
Pilot Flight Officer McNally are on participating in a low level
Tactical training flight
in a Aeronca L-3C aircraft. McNally who
is flying the aircraft, strikes an auxiliary power line damaging the aircraft,
the propeller, the landing gear and the engine, with the cockpit windscreen
being broken. The accident review board determined that the
Accident was 100% pilot
error, and was duly noted on McNally’s next performance report.
McNally
Chuck, check the map and see how much further we need
To go in this direction.
CHUCK
Looks like another 10 miles or so; it shows here,
power lines
But I haven’t seen any, be sure and watch for
them. What’s
Your altitude?
The Capt said to stay about 500 feet.
McNally
Were at 200 feet
CHUCK
Pull up fast. (CONTINUED)
. McNally .
OhOh is that a power line? Hold on…..he powers up the
engine as the plane skims the power line.
MvNALLY (CONTINUED)
And
immediately starts down towards the ground.
CHUCK
Over there to the right, looks like a corn field.
(The aircraft engine sputters and the plane continues
in
A steep dive, just leveling out as they land in the
corn field,
Fortunately neither
man was injured).
. Screne: EXT. DAY
Bowman Field Louisville Kentucky
Captain
Addressing the men: this training flight will be a
round robin flight from Bowman field to Lexington and back, if anyone has an
engine problem and has to make an emergency landing, look for a field or road
to land on and then call the base and report where you are. If anyone sees a
plane leave the formation, report to me via the radio. Under no circumstances
is anyone to leave the formation in case they see an accident, just report what
you see. Is that understood: men….Yes Sir.
_________________________________________________________________________
Scene: We see the Bowman Field and the 30 - L2 planes on the grassy flight line preparing for takeoff, the
planes receive the radio alert for takeoff sequence .
___________________________________________________________________________
September 10, 1943, this morning
a flight of 30 - L2 Grasshopper single engine
light aircraft take off in trail.
On a round-robin flight to
Lexington, Kentucky and return. It is listed on the
Training report as a simulated glider combat
mission. Both legs of the flight
Will be flown at 700 feet. The Bowman to Lexington leg was uneventful,
but
On the return flight tragedy
strikes. During a left turn directly
into the sun,
Two aircraft in the middle of
the formation collide, doing major damage to
Both aircraft. The first aircraft went into a flat spin and
crashed in the field
Below. The pilot died from blunt force trauma when
the aircraft impacted the
Ground. The other pilot fared no better. He was able to exit the aircraft and
Pull his ripcord, but was too
low to the ground for his main parachute to deploy.
He was killed instantly on
impact with the ground. His aircraft
crashed nearby
And burned. Chuck flying near the end of the formation
sees the 2 planes
go down and immediately pulls
back on the stick to gain altitude and instantly
sees a clear field he can land
in just ahead.
As Chuck runs onto the adjacent
field he sees another aircraft making a
Landing but suddenly it makes a
violent pitch downward and crash into
the
Ground, hitting a fence and
then a ditch before coming to rest on its side. As
Chuck gets to the aircraft he
sees two young men trying to get the pilot
Out. Also arriving are two
other glider pilots that have landed to help.
Chuck
Looks in the cockpit and
realizes it’s his friend Spencer.
. Scene: INT FIELD DAY - DAMAGED AIRCRAFT , The aircraft
motor has been ripped from its mounting And has been pushed back through
the instrument panel and
is resting on the pilot (Leon Spencer) whose flight
suit is soaked with leaking fuel.
.
Aircraft Cockpit
CHUCK
Oh My God , Spencer can you hear me. (CONTINUED)
SPENCER
.
(Unconscious and moaning)
CHUCK
Speaking
to the two young men, (get back immediately, and
CHUCK (CONTINUED)
Get
rid of those cigarettes. There is leaking fuel all over here
And the ground, you will start a fire and kill us all.
)
GLIDER PILOT 1
We have got to get this engine off of him, hits
burning him
And it’s going to catch this fuel on fire.
GLIDER PILOT 2
(Takes off his flight jacket) cover his legs so they
don’t get
Burned and let’s rip the back of the seat off and use
it
To lift the engine up so we can get him out.
CHUCK
(For the second time chuck tells the two men to move
back
And put out the cigarettes.)
Hey I just told you two to get back and put out the
cigarettes, NOW
CHUCK
Looks like his leg and arm are broken, be careful when
you lift
The instrument panel up.
CHUCK
(Chuck looks up and around to see the two men still
Looking into the aircraft, he stands up,
and draws his
45 cal sidearm out and points it at the
two men.)
CHUCK
You two back up real slow and don’t drop those
Cigarettes on
the ground or I will shoot you
Both.
(The two men backed up slowly and then run away)
. DAY
INT OPEN FIELD
(After thirty minutes or so they are able to get the
engine off of Spencer, freeing his legs and arms
and removing him from the aircraft still unconscious. He
Was placed on a blanket that someone had
provided. Shortly thereafter a
Military ambulance carrying a doctor arrived from
Bowman Field. The
Doctor examined Spencer, started a IV to prevent
shock, and we help put him into the
.
Ambulance for the trip back to the base hospital. Spencer’s .
Injuries included a brain concussion, and crushed
right foot, lacerations
And puncture wounds all over his arms and legs, and
abrasions galore. He
Remained semiconscious for two days, suffered partial
amnesia and was
A patient for eleven months in three different
military hospitals. He was placed
Back on flying
status on August 5, 1944.
. EXT DAY
BARRACKS
ORDERLY
Skidmore your to report to the
Base Commander’s Office Immediately.
The Sherriff is there, says you threaten to
Shoot 2 men yesterday.
. INT HQ OFFICE BASE COMMANDER
Sir reporting as ordered.
BASE COMMANDER
Flight Officer Skidmore these men say you
Threaten to shoot them yesterday, is
That true?
CHUCK
Yes Sir I did.
BASE COMMANDER
For what reasons?
CHUCK
During a flight
training accident
yesterday, I
landed my aircraft
and was helping get Flight Officer
Spencer out of
his plane. These two men were
the first to
arrive at the crash site, but when
I arrived they
had cigarettes dangling
from their mouths.
I immediately ask them
to put out the
cigarettes
and to back up because of the fuel
leaking from
the wings. A few
minutes later I
ask them
a second time with no results.
My third
request I drew my side
Arm and told
them
to slowly move
away or
I would shoot them.
(CONTINUED)
.
BASE COMMANDER .
Sherriff please get these two idiot’s out
of my
office. It’s a good thing I
wasn’t there, because I would ask
them one time….then I would
of shot you both in the Ass.
Flight Officer Skidmore, you may
Return to your duties.
(Chuck completed his training at
Bowman, now called the Glider Crew Training
Center, in Mid October 1943. On October21, the 1st Troop
Carrier Command
Issued orders assigning Chuck
and 227 other Bowman Field graduates to the
38th Troop Carrier
Squadron at Camp Mackall in Hoffman, North Carolina.
Everyone departed the following
day by rail, bus and private conveyance,
Each granted five days leave
before reporting to their duty station on
October 29, 1943. Their reassignment orders specified that’s
friends or
Relatives were prohibited from
either accompanying or joining them at their
New base. Everyone was certain that upon completion of
tactical training they
Would be headed overseas. Chucks wife, Norma, would remain at her
parents
home during his absence. Foe the next several weeks Chuck underwent
intensive combat training, usually
hauling glider troopers, airborne weaponry, or
vehicles of the 101st
Airborne Division from nearby Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
On November 26 1943, his combat
training at Mackell completed, orders were
Issued transferring Chuck and a
large contingent of glider pilots base there to the
439th Troop Carrier
Group temporally based at nearby Pope Field, North
Carolina. When Chuck reported to
the 439th he was assigned to the 91st Troop Group
Squadron, which promptly divided
the glider pilots into 50-man flights for training
Purposes. Chuck was assigned to flight “C”. Many of the C-47 pilots had little or
No experience towing gliders so
they practiced day and night doing just that until
Mid-January when the Group
began to prepare for overseas movement.
Much of
their training at Pope Field
was conducted at nearby Laurinburg-Maxton Army base,
North Carolina.
In early February, 1944 the air
echelon of the 439th was ordered to Baer Field, Fort
Wayne, Indiana, the aerial port
of embarkation, arriving there on the 14th of the
Month.
The ground echelon would follow by ship to England. The advance parties
Of the 439th and two
of its squadrons, the 91st and 92nd, departed Bear Field
in their
C47 transports on February 19,
1944. The remaining two squadrons, the
93rd and
The 94th, did not
arrive at Balderton until March 6, 1944.
The airdrome was located
2 miles south of Newark,
England in the midlands. Chuck and the
ground echelon
Of the 439th TC
Group and its four squadrons left New York aboard the U.S.S George
Washington,
a converted 1930’s transport ship that
was used to ship Bananas from South
America to the United States but which
was now an Army Troop carrier,
on February 28,
1944. After eleven days at sea Chuck was ready for dry land,
with the convoy changing course every 7 minutes
because of the
threat of
German submarines.
(Continued)
A.
17.
The ship arrived at Liverpool, England
on March 10, 1944. From there they
traveled
By rail to Balderton where
they would remain until April 26, 1944.
On that date
The group was relocated to
the airdrome at Upottery, England.
After the Group arrived in
the United Kingdom the training continued unabated
In preparation for the
invasion of the continent. Several
maneuvers were held
To further Hone the skills
of the C-47 and glider pilots. About a
month before the
D-Day invasion of
Normandy, France the 439th was relocated to Taunton in
Southern England.
May 1944 Southern England
Scene:
London –Kings crossing train station London, G.P. Skidmore exits to the street
level, lots of people of the street. He looks both ways and at a paper he has
with directions. He walks to the corner and stops asking man selling flowers for directions to the
Foleys book store…the man snipes back at him: “I don’t get paid to give
direction to yanks “ and turns around quickly. Chucks continues on down the
sidewalk and feels a tap on his shoulder.
Englishman with umbrella
Officer can I help you, please forgive his
rudeness not all English people are like him. Where do you want to go?
Chuck
I am trying to find the Foleys book
store.
Englishman
Ah yes, a very fine book store
indeed, it’s on my way.
The two men walk away together
chatting.
Englishman
I see you are an Army Glider Pilot.
Chuck
Yes Sir.
Englishman
That’s a very dangerous profession.
Chuck
Smiling, yes sir, but these days any
military job can be dangerous for sure, some more than others.
They come to the end of the street
and the Englishman points, one more block and it’s on the left, you can’t miss
it.
They shake hands and part, Chuck
continues on walking and sees the store sign.
Scene:
Floyles book store, chuck looks around and sees no one behind the counter, so
he walks by and into the first row of books.
Salesgirl
Good morning, may I help you.
Chuck turns
around to see a young beautiful curly auburn/red headed girl smiling at him.
Ahhh he forgets his train of thought and what is he looking for…
Chuck
Hummm yes, I am looking for a first
edition the “Adventures of Robin Hood”
Salesgirl
What is it with you Americans,
everybody ask for robin hood or king Author books.,
Chuck
Guess I always wanted to be Errol
Flynn.
Salesgirl
Smiling, I have never met a Glider
Pilot with a sword before, do you carry one with you?
Chuck
No I left it back at the base today,
smiling. My name is Chuck Skidmore , What’s your name?
Salesgirl
I’m Mary Ann Archer, they shake
hands, very nice to meet you. And where are you from Chuck Skidmore, American
Glider Pilot?
Chuck
I am from Columbus Kansas, it’s a
very small town.
Mary Archer
Kansas that would be in the Middle of
the United States…correct.
Scene, large
wall map with small pins in it.
Mary Archer
Not many pins in Kansas, show me
where you live.
Chuck points out the town on the map,
Oh that’s next to Oklahoma where the Indians live isn’t it. Chuck smiles and
says they have a few Indians in Oklahoma.
Mary Archer
I was told that’s where all the
Indians live
Chuck
No that’s not right, they live in
many states.
Mary leaves Chuck to attending to other
customers, Chuck watches her thru the book stands as she walks back and forth,
thinking to himself, she must not weigh 100 lbs dripping wet and smiles. Chuck
looks for a book he likes until she comes back to see how he is doing.
Chuck
Well I can’t decide, how about having
some coffee with me to help with my pick?
Mary Ann
Isn’t your wife going to get mad if
she finds out your asking out a book store sales girl? Lifting his hand with
the wedding ring on it and starting to walk away when Chuck steps in front of
her.
Chuck
Please… I am on a 24 hour pass, my first in 2
weeks….it’s just a cup of coffee.
Mary Ann
I get off in 2 hours, can you keep yourself busy until then?
Chuck
You bet your bottom dollar….
Mary Ann
What’s a Bottom Dollar?
Chuck
Its like,,, he thinks. If I only had 1 dollar left in the
whole world and I made a bet with someone that I would be here in 2 win. then
it’s like a sure thing…. I would win….. I am not going anywhere for any amount
of money…
Mary Ann
She shakes her head, I think you made
that up.
Scene: Chuck and Mary Ann walk into
the Hotel dining room across the street and sit down.
Waitress
What can I get for you?
Chuck
One coffee and 1 tea
Waitress
I am sorry sir we are out of coffee ,
rations…
Chuck
Then 2 teas will be perfect.
Mary Ann
Where do you and your wife live?
Chuck
We lived mostly in Hotels while I was
training. I haven’t been married for long.
Mary Ann
Should you not be asking young girls
out for coffee then?
Chuck
Well to be honest when you think you
might not come back from war you make decisions that you wouldn’t have
ordinarily made and getting married was one of those.
Chucks looks down at the small teas
cups and comments:
Chuck
Very small cups, this is my first hot
tea, kinda of taste of hot water. Why don’t English people like ice in anything
you drink?
Mary Ann
We don’t feel the need to have ice in
everything we drink, it taste fine without it.
Chuck
I don’t know I am still trying to get
used to drinking warm beer, they guy that guards the beer rations on base sure
makes a lot of money on the side. After a hard day training you want an ice
cold beer.
Mary Ann
What does your family do in Kansas?
Chuck
My dad is a newspaperman and a
writer. He is editor of the town newspaper, and I helped him when I came home
from college during the summers. My mother works for the town lawyer as his
secretary and I have a little brother who is in air cadet training at the
moment.
Mary Ann
What college do you attend?
Chuck
I went to Kansas University Home of
the Jayhawks
Mary Ann
What is the world is Jayhawk?
Chuck
It’s a mighty bird
Mary Ann
Really…
Chuck
Chuck shows her his college ID card
with the Jayhawk on the back.
Mary Ann
Laughing…it’s a bird with shoes….
Chuck
You see those spurs on his shoes,
that’s for our sports opponent, if they get close he will stick them…
Mary Ann
Your funny… that’s not true. But I
like him…..A Kansas Jayhawk . I will look in the book store and see if I can
find a picture to put up next to your pin on the map.
Chuck
Are all the foleys salesgirls as
beautiful as you?
Mary Ann
Mary Ann smiles but says nothing
Chuck
Let me get you more tea
Mary Ann
She says nothing, then smiles ….Ok…excuse me I
need to call home so my mother isn’t worrying about me.
Mary Ann comes back from making her
phone call
Chuck
Tell me about yourself
Mary Ann
I was born in London and lived here
all my life. The book store hired me 2 years ago and I like working there a
lot. I also have a little brother, who is 12,
I pray that the war is over before he has to fight. My father was called
up 2 years ago and we have only seen him once in that time. I worry about him
every day and when the phone rings my heart shakes with fear that something has
happened to him. My mother trys to not show it but I hear her crying sometimes
at night. Are you stationed near London?
Chuck
No I am about an hour ½ train ride away, I usually get a day off
every 2 weeks between glider training. Sometime sooner, because I am also the
information officer for the squadron and have to come to London on official
business.
Mary Ann
Tellme more about Kansas….tell me
more about where you live…
Chuck
Are they Hazel Blue?
Mary Ann
What?
Chuck
You have the most beautiful blue
eyes, they glow like the morning sun light against that pretty auburn-red hair
Mary Ann
She looks down at the table …I need
to go, your married …I shouldn’t be here…I am sorry
Chuck
Don’t go
Marry Ann
She gets up and rushes out of the
hotel with chuck rushing after her. He stops her as she runs for the bus stop,
Chuck
Will you please see me again?
Mary Ann
I can’t, I shouldn’t, they embrace,
she gets on the bus and he watches as it leaves
Scene: The sirens go off and chuck
looks to the sky and the search scanning the sky for German planes, people are
running, he backs up into a doorway and hears an explosion and looks toward the
direction the bus was going. He runs down to the next street corner and looks
the bus is parked on the side of the street and its empty, Chuck looks for Mary
Ann franticly but does not see or find her.
Chuck stops a police man asking where the nearest shelters are, he runs
until he finds the underground shelter sign and enters. People are crowded in
all around, it’s very noisy, and you can still hears explosions above. He looks
and looks as he walks down the long underground tunnel, he is worrying that
something has happened to Mary Ann, then he sees her here holding a little boy
on her lap, he calls her name and she runs to him, they embrace and kiss for
the first time.
Scene: as they exit the bomb shelter
with his arm around her shoulder they see the destruction from the bombs,
injured people in the street and buildings on fire.
Mary Ann
I have to go now, please…let me go.
Chuck
Look I want to see you again….I
should get time off in a week maybe. I will come to the store
Mary Ann
No….I don’t know what I want
Chuck
I tell you what, we will go on a
picnic….somehow I will send word to you. I can spend the day telling you about
my family, we had a famous indian fighter……he smiles at her and gently holds
her face in his hands. He kissed her hands and then kisses her lips. They part
hands and she walks away, stopping to turn around to say, “Good Bye Chuck” be
careful.
The next week Chuck got word to her
at the store to meet him the following Saturday at the main entrance to hyde
park where he will be waiting. But that meeting will have to wait with the
Invasion of France June 6, 1944.
Scene: On June 3, 1944 everyone was herded into
barracks and
Hangars that were
surrounded by barbed wire. Everyone knew
that they would
Soon be facing the enemy. Finally, the day that every Allied soldier
looked
Forward to had arrived. You could feel the tension in the air. Chuck would not fly
The D-Day mission on June
6, 1944, but would fly in glider trooper
Reinforcements of the 101st Airborne Division the following day, D-Day +
1.
. EXT
JUNE 7, 4:00 AM Awakened by CQ (charge of quarters
CHUCK
Let’s go guys, Mark, JC, Ken get up,
Let’s get to the chow hall while
The line is short and the
Food is hot, wonder what they
Are serving us for our
Last meal…..
MARK
I don’t care what it is as long
as I get Large portions.
. EXT
4:30 AM Mess Hall Line
CHUCK
I can smell fried Eggs….we haven’t
Had Eggs since we left the USA.
Look….Chocolate Cake, well
I would not of thought of
That combination….but it
Smells good doesn’t it.
. EXT 5:15 AM - Glider Pilots Briefing Room
Company Commander
Things got better last night, the Germans
Haven’t brought up their tanks yet and
And our units are holding their ground. (CONTINUED)
. COMPANY COMMANDER (CON’T) .
There is still a lot of confusion though,
Many of the paratroopers
were dropped
In the wrong zones, so were not
Sure where everybody is located at.
Your mission is the same as always,
get your gliders to the assigned
Landing zones and unload your
Men and materials as quickly
As possible.
GLIDER PILOT
Sir; what do we do after we land
Our gliders,
Where do we go?
COMPANY COMMANDER
(A Brief period of silence)
I don’t know, I guess we never
Really thought of that.
(All glider pilot volunteers were told
When they enlisted that on
Combat missions the
Casualty rates were expected to
be 50%)
GLIDER PILOT
(“RUN LIKE HELL”)
Laughter from the group…….
COMPANY COMMANDER
Make it back to the coast
As best you can.
Also…. all the C-47 crews have
been told: The Glider Pilots will
will release when the pilot of
C-47 Leading the formation
Starts a gradual turn to the
Left to return to the coast.
“If any C-47 pilots cuts his
Glider off during an
Invasion without sufficient (CONTINUED)
.
.
COMPANY COMMANDER
(CON’T)
Reason, and there shouldn’t
Be any, he’d better keep on
Going because if he comes
Back here, I’ll be waiting for him”
God bless you all, it’s been a
Honor to be your commander.
. EXT
5:45 AM Flight Line
(A Long
line of Gliders on the sides with a C-47
Aircraft moving onto the
Center of the runway ready
To hook up to the front glider.)
. INT - CHUCKS GLIDER – Paratroopers were already
seated on both sides of the cabin
As Chuck and his Co-pilot – JC make it to their seats.
AIRBORNE LIEUTENANT
There’s no use of you too
Fastening on those
Parachutes because we’ll
Never let you use them.
CHUCK
Don’t worry Lieutenant we
Only bring them on board
To use them as seat cushions.
(Chuck drapes the shoulder
straps over the back of the seats)
A. INT.
Glider Cockpit Day-Morning -
(Approaching the Normandy Peninsula)
GLIDER IN BOUND
OVER THE CHANNEL…..
________________________________________________________
Scene:
aerial view of hundreds of aircraft flying over the English channel and you can
see the fighters dropping there fuel drop tanks into the ocean as well and
seeing hundreds of artillery shells
hitting the ocean and some of the landing craft. Also you can see the battle
ships, heavy cruisers and destroyers shelling the coast line above the landing
zones inland.
_________________________________________________________
PILOT:
P/V C 47 troop carrier entering low
ceiling and toll rope starts to go down as the C 47 starts to descend to get to
better visual conditions.
GLIDER
Pilot:
James, looks
like we’ll be dropping down to the tree tops…..leaving 500 feet to treetops it looks
like. If we don’t break out soon, we
have to return to base.
GLIDER CO
PILOT:
Looks that
way…….I’m starting to pick up some tree
tops now….looks like we’ll level out at 100 feet……
GLIDER
PILOT:
Really don’t
like this, only gives us a minute to find our landing zone….
GLIDER CO
PILOT:
If that
that!
GLIDER PILOT
P/V…..cloud cover start to lift and visibility increases….
GLIDER CO
PILOT:
Well it’s
clearing a little, someone up there is smiling on us…the toll rope is showing
we are starting a climb.
GLIDER
PILOT:
We’ll be
getting our red light soon…….
2nd
Lt. makes his way up to the pilot……the Lt. appears to be uneasy with the
current situation with the glider…..
2nd
LT:
We need to set down…we’ll be getting all
shot up before we get down!!
PILOT:
We’ll start down when we get our green
light, now go back with your troops!
2nd
LT:
I’m fine right here!
GLIDER
PILOT:
Get back Lt. !
2nd
LT:
I’m staying, I’ll be alright!
The pilot
looks at LT and expresses discuss……
GLIDER
PILOTS P/V…….trees, farm fields shows the glider is climbing to a higher
altitude…suddenly gun fire tracers start reaching up to the glider and the
sound of bullets are heard hitting the gliders metal tubing.
GLIDER
PILOT: Ok, there’s our green light,
disconnect, here we go….
Glider makes a turn to the left, pilot
seeing the C 47 making a right turn…….
CO
PILOT: Airspeed, 130………
Glider levels off and making a steep
descent…….and levels out just above tree level, then dips down to flare out
just pass the trees.
GLIDER CO
PILOT: Showing 110…….
Pilot pulls back on yoke,
GLIDER CO
PILOT: Showing 90, 80
Glider shams down and is on wet grass and
not slowing ….
Spoilers
open….
GLIDER PILOT
P/V……
Glider continues to reduce speed slowing
with hegh row coming up…
Pilot pushed
yolk forward to dig wheel into mud, the glider break up behind the pilot’s seat
and wheel comes up and hits the Lt. between the legs and he give out a loud
cry.
The glider
digs in to the mud at the break and comes to a sudden stop.
GLIDER
PILOT:
Ok, let’s
get out of here…..
Pilot, copilot, and troops storms out the
plane and hits the ground. Troops quickly disappear into the hedgerow…..
GLIDER
PILOT:
Stay down,
we’ll get shot…..
GLIDER
Pilots PV…..
Shots being
fired from various directions and from a far appears a small band of
troops. As they come in closer, the
troops are gun happy…
GLIDER
PILOT:
American glider pilots, don’t shoot!
GLIDER CO
PILOT:
Babe Routh,
apple pie, don’t shoot!
Troops come running in and take a knee by
the pilots……..
Trooper:
These Germans just moved into the
area about an hour ago….what timing……
GLIDER
PILOT:
I’ll
say…..you know we got to get back to the beach area…any suggestions?
Trooper:
We’ll help
you to get out of this area, then you’re on your own…let’s move…..
Pilots and troopers make their way along
a hedge row and into another field.
Scene
switches back to the C-47 departing the area under heavy gun fire……..
C 47 Pilot:
I’m going
down low…no telling where the rest of the squadron is, damn that low ceiling,
everyone one is scattered all over the area.
Do you have a bearing to get us over the channel back to base?
C-47 makes turns away from gun fire tracers and
takes a few rounds.
Another C-47
comes into view and is hit in the right engine by ground fire and a fire
starts…pilots fights the fire,ie, fire bottle, turning off fuel , feathering
prop…the plane flies for a while then takes a dive downwards and levels out,
drops flaps,co pilot calls out airspeeds and crashes into flooded field….
CHUCK
(C-47 Pilot via Telephone from the Glider)
Anderson what’s making all
Those splashes?
ANDERSON
Those are P-51s dropping their
Tip tanks.
CHUCK
You’re a damn liar, (CONTINUED)
A.
CHUCK (CON’T)
.
There aren’t that many tip
Tanks in the whole Army
Air Force…..They must be German
Shells falling into the water.
. EXT Day - Glider landing zone, 1 1/2 Mile
from St Mere Eglise
. INT
Glider Cockpit
CHUCK
What’s are altitude?
C0-Pilot - JC
600 feet.
CHUCK
Cut us loose.
(the tow line is released
and the glider turns
Into the landing zone)
CHUCK
There’s the field…
(Into chucks ear a loud
voice is heard….BUSTER)
Chucks turns his head and
shoulder for split second, then back concentrating on
Landing the glider.
Machine gun fire hits the
glider passing thru the cockpit
Floor and stitching the wing
to the tip.
CO-PILOT - JC
The Germans have flooded the
field.
CHUCK
Hold on were going to hit
hard.
(The glider lands in 3 feet
of water
And quickly comes to a stop,
the paratrooper’s
Exit immediately out the
side door)
CO-PILOT - JC
Chuck are you hurt?
CHUCK
No, how about your?
CO-PILOT - JC
Look behind your seat….
(Behind chucks seatback is a
line of bullet
Holes, just where his head
was?)
You sure you OK? (CONTINUED)
CHUCK
Did you yell at me as
we cut loose from the C-47….
Calling me BUSTER.
CO-PILOT - JC
No, why?
CHUCK
BUSTER was a nickname
My grandfather called me.
If I hadn’t turned my head
that
machine gun spray would
of taken my head off.
Guess my grandfather was
Looking out for me…..
Let’s get the hell out of
here, fast.
.
EXT DAY: Glider in the water -
NEXT Chuck and his Co-pilot
quickly take off their flack
Jackets and rip a large
hole in the fabric on the side of gilder and slide
Out into the water. About 12 feet away another glider is in the
water
And the pilot is franticly looking for his
co-pilot, seems he still
had his flak jacket
when He went into the water and into a
deep hole. Only his hands were above the water, the
pilot pulls
him up by the hair, as he spits out a mouth
of dirty water. Bullets are flying
everywhere hitting the
water and tearing up the side of the gilder.
CHUCK
Lets head for the edge row
over there.
. Scene:
We
see chuck and his Co-pilot hitting the dirt next to 20 paratroopers
That are taking
machine gun fire from a hidden bunker. After a hail of
Return rifle fire
and a bazooka hit, the resistance stopped, then a
Single shot rang
out from the bunker followed by laughter. Soon 12
Polish conscripts
appeared waving a white flag. It seems they didn’t
Want To fight the
Americans soldiers, so they shot the German
Sergeant that was
in charge.
.
EXT DAY
- Farm House
PARATROOPER
In the house, anybody…come
out
With your hands up.
AMERICAN SOLDIER
Don’t shoot; I
am a Paratrooper, injured
I have a woman with me…
(CONTINUED)
. INT.
FARM HOUSE - DAY
.
FRENCH GIRL
Hello Americans, this way…..
NEXT -
BEDROOM AMERICAN
SOLDIER
(Seems the paratrooper had jumped the night before
And had fractured his leg when he fell through the
Thatched roof of the farm house. The Young French
Was caring for him, so he just lay there waiting for
The war to come to him.)
. EXT Nightfall Chuck and his Co-pilot have left
the Paratrooper and
Are
headed back to the beach, when they decide to
Stop
for the night.
CHUCK
Come on I see some people digging over there.
The two of them join the group in digging a spot
For the night
to sleep in.
SERGEANT
Hey….. you two can’t dig in here.
CHUCK
Why not?
SERGEANT
Because we’re starting a temporary American
Cemetery here.
(That
did it; they went elsewhere down the road
To a apple grove
At sunlight they hear people marching down the road
Ahead, Chuck takes off the safety on his Thompson
Machine gun.
It’s some US Army Infantry moving up the line.
. EXT Side of the road - (
A group of soldiers yelling …. They have
6 SS German Soldiers
Lined up and are searching them, they want to know if
they are from
St Mere Eglise, because they had
found body’s of American
Paratroopers that had been
shot before they reached the ground, many still
Hanging from trees and
buildings around the town. Then American
. Cont’d
.
Cigarettes and money are
found on three of them. The American
Paratroopers immediately
line them up and slit their throats
One by one. As the column of
men marching by watched, no one stops
Or says a word, they just
look ahead and move down the road.
CHUCK
Come on JC, let’s get going….
(Over the next 24 hours the two of them spend time
With a 105mm artillery crew, providing perimeter
Guard, and then with a communications outfit.)
. EXT
DAY - 101st Airborne Command
post. – Captains Desk
CHUCK
-Salutes-
Sir, were Glider Pilots with the 439th
Troop Group, were looking for
Pilots from our unit that
Might have passed here today.
CAPTAIN
Yes, some of them are here. I
Sent them next door to
Get a sandwich and something
To drink. Be sure to
Fill up your canteens, there is little
Fresh water in the area.
Your all being assigned to
Guard some German
Prisoners down
at Omaha beach,
And then you will accompany them
On a (LST- Landing Ship Tank)
back to
England. Report to the
Beach master.
CHUCK
Thank you Sir. – Salutes
. EXT
DAY - OMAHA BEACH - BEACH MASTER
CHUCK
Salutes – Sir, We were sent down from the
101st command post
.
CHUCK (Cont’d) .
To help guard some German prisoners
and accompany
them back to England.
BEACHMASTER
Ok, I need two of you to stay here
The rest of you spread out down
The barbed wire
all the way
To the end. No
one! is to
cross over or beyond that wire, if
they do, you shoot them, don’t kill
them just wing them, to let
the others know you mean
business,
unless it’s one of
those SS Officer Bastards, then
you have my permission to
blow their Dam head off.
. EXT
DAY - LCI (LANDING
CRAFT,INFANTRY)
OFFICER
Ok we will take the first 50
on board out to the
LST.
CHUCK
Ok, move up the first group.
Scene: (A Army Major steps
up with a group of prisoners)
MAJOR
Can you take this group?
CHUCK
Salutes - Yes Sir, we have more LCI’s
On the way.
MAJOR
I will be needing all of your rifles
As you board.
(CONTINUED)
.
.
CHUCK
Sir we have to turn in our
Weapons to Supply when
We get back to the Air field.
MAJOR
It doesn’t make sense to
take them with you when we
need them here. I will also
need all the extra ammo your
carrying.
(It made sense so we all surrendered our rifles,
And kept our 45 sidearms, However once we got
Back to our home base in England the Supply
Officer couldn’t see the wisdom of the
Whole thing and threatened to take
Action to make us pay for them, luckily
Our Commander vetoed that idea.)
. DAY ON BOARD – (LST) – JUST OFF THE SHORELINE
Sitting near Chucks LST is a Oil Tanker that takes
A Torpedo hit from a German E-Boat, The
Ship breaks apart and sinks within a few
Minutes. There is only one survivor
a man and his
dog. A few moments later
We see a British Ground
Attack aircraft fire on and sink
The E-Boat, the GI’s on board,
Start clapping and yelling.
A. DAY -(LST)
WATER RESCUE
Miraculously, the German commander of the E-Boat
Is recued by the LST: He has
A severe leg wound.
Chuck helps carry him
to the operating table below deck where an
American medic tends to the wound.
When the medic wants to cut apart
The officer’s sealskin pants, he explodes
With anger, so Chuck and the medic
removed his pants which must of (CONTINUED)
A
(Continued)
.
Been dreadfully painful, but the German
Never uttered a sound and sat stoically
as the medic tended his wound.
. NIGHT - LST -
MIDNIGHT MEAL
NAVY CORPSMAN
Handing out K-rations to the German prisoners
GERMAN MAJOR
NO, NO, says something in German.
NAVY CORPSMAN
Anybody know what’s wrong with this Kraut…..
GERMAN CORPORAL
The Major says he wants better food
WOUNDED ARMY SARGEANT
Corporal would you please tell the Major
That if he doesn’t eat our rations…
Myself and a few other men here
Will stuff them down his throat, cans and all.
. NIGHT - LST BELOW DECK
The LST was a mess; they had 1,200 German prisoners on
board and only 4 GI cans to serve as toilets. Among the 1,200
Were several officers who were pretty well subdued,
except
For one Nazi storm trooper. This lieutenant insisted that
Every German prisoner passing by him give him the
Nazi salute.
CHUCK finally got tired of seeing this
And told the Corporal to tell the Lieutenant
- without the preliminary Nazi Salute - that if
He, the Nazi, saluted one more time, he (Chuck)
Intended to emphasize his point with his Combat
Knife……
And that was the end of the saluting.
. EXT
DAY - British Port – Unloading Prisoners
BRITISH SOLDIER
How was it over there?
(CONTINUED)
.
CHUCK
.
It was bad….I lost a lot
Of good friends this week.
Chuck takes a few steps and turns
around and looks towards
France……And Thanks God for
Surviving his first combat mission
Against the enemy.
(JULY 5 1944, IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERAL ORDER 33,
CHUCK
AND THE OTHER GLIDER PILOTS OF THE 439TH TC
GROUP WHO
FLEW THE NORMANDY MISSION WERE AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL
FOR MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN COMBAT AND A BRONZE
ARROWHEAD TO THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN
MEDAL FOR A COMBAT LANDING. )
THE MAGNIFICENT SPIRIT AND ENTHUSIASM DISPLAYED BY
THESE
INDIVIDUALS COMBINED WITH SKILL, COURAGE AND DEVOTION
TO DUTY IS REFLECTED IN THEIR BRILLIANT OPERATION OF
UNARMED AND UNARMORED TROOP CARRIER AIRCRAFT AT
MINIMUM ALTIDUDES AND AIR SPEEDS, IN UNFAVORABLE
WEATHER CONDITIONS, OVER WATER, AND INTO THE FACE
OF VIGOROUS ENEMY OPPOSITION, WITH NO POSSIBILITY
OF EMPLOYING EVASIVE ACTION, TO SPEARHEAD THE
ALLIED INVASION OF THE CONTINENT AND TO SUPPORT AIR
AND GROUND FORCES IN THE CRITICAL PERIOD WHICH
FOLLOWED. THEIR RESPECTIVE DUTY ASSIGNMENTS
WERE PERFORMED IN SUCH AN ADMIRABLE MANNER AS
TO PRODUCE
EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS IN THE GREATEST AND
MOST SUCCESFUL AIRBORNE OPERATION IN THE HISTORY
OF WORLD AVIATION.
SIGNED: GENERAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER – SUPREME
ALLIED COMMANDER
Scene: 1 week after D-Day
at Foleys Bookstore
Chuck
Chuck enters the foyles book store
and looks for Mary Ann, he sees her talking to a customer.
Mary Ann
She sees him and ask another
salesperson to help . She motions Chuck to a row of books, grabbing his hand. I
told you……I am glad you are , ….she
stops and kisses Chuck. Please….
Chuck
chuck interrupts her ….can you get
away for lunch……I brought you something, he holds up a large bag.
Mary Ann
She shakes her head no, she looks
down……
Chuck
I guess I will have to eat these Ham
sandwiches by myself
Mary Ann
She grabs Chucks arm and the bag,
Ham, really a Ham sandwich….she smiles
Chuck
Lets see ahhh yes ham sandwich or yes
I forgot about the orange, banana, ohoh what is this…
Mary Ann
Grabs the sack and opens it and pulls
out a can…..pears, her mouth drops open her eyes widen ….then she looks around to see if anyone
heard or saw her. How did you get this?
(All of these items have been rationed for the last 2 years in England)
Chuck
Chuck turns and starts to walk out of
the store, he hears her voice …
Mary Ann
She runs to him and whispers in his
ear, I will meet you at the corner by the bus stop in 5 minutes.
Scene: Hyde Park London, they look
for a secluded place to put down a blanket Mary Ann has brought.
Mary Ann
This looks good, she looks around
Chuck
What are you looking for, laughing
Mary Ann
If people saw what you had in this
bag it would cause a riot, we would get mugged ….smiling
Mary Ann
How can you get food like this?
Amazed look on her face
Chuck
I did a favor for the Officers mess
hall 1st sergeant and he gave me these…… As he is talking Mary Ann
has pulled the paper wrapper of the sandwich and he devouring the ham sandwich,
she quickly looks around as if someone is going to steal it from her. Chuck
smiles watching her eat it.
Mary Ann
Aren’t you going to eat yours?
Chuck
Maybe, you might not be filled up
with just one sandwich. Oh look you got something on your shirt, he points down
at her shirt and as she looks down he thumbs her nose….saying Gottcha….she
grabs him and kisses him. She laughs.
The 1 hour lunch break goes by fast
and Mary Ann and Chuck walk back to the book store, with her holding his arm.
Over the next month Chuck would meet
Mary Ann whenever he got a pass and finally he ask to meet her family, she said
that she thought it was a bad idea, because he was married. He said that he
would take off his wedding band.
Chuck
I will bring something for dinner?
Mary Ann
What some ham sandwiches?
Chuck
I can do better than that, do you
like roast….some potatoes and carrots.
Mary Ann
Oh Chuck… we could get in a lot of
trouble for that, how can you get Roast.
Chuck
Don’t you worry, just tell you
mother, I have a surprise.
Mary Ann
I am worried, you are not stealing things are
you?
Chuck
Laughing, you know better than that.
Mary Ann
It’s really ok.
The date arrives for chuck to bring a
roast and fixing.
Scene: knock at the front
door,…..door opens and it’s a young boy, hi my name is roger, you must be
Flight Officer Skidmore.
Chuck
Yes that’s me indeed, he shakes hands
with the young man and enters the house carrying a large bag.
Roger
The boy motions to Chuck….he
whispers, do you really have a roast in your bag?
Scene: at the end of the hallway
Chuck see Mary Ann and her mother standing arm and arm
Mary Ann
Mom, this is my friend flight Officer
Chuck Skidmore
Mother
How do you do young man, it is nice
to have you in my home. Even if you had to bring the dinner, she has a big
smile on her face.
Chuck
Well Mrs. Archer….
I hope you can do something with
these, he hands the large bag to her
and she takes it to the kitchen with Mary Ann.
Roger and Chuck sit down in the small living
room. Chuck hears them talking with excitement in the kitchen about how to cook
the roast and fixings. Mary Ann ask him if he would like an English beer which
he accepts. Roger spends the time asking
Chuck about his D-Day mission. After a while Marry Ann and her mother come in
to say the dinner will be ready soon, Mrs. Archer thanks me several times for
the roast, and how long it has been since they had such a good meal.
Chuck
I have been sitting here smelling it,
just them her mother shouts, oh no , Mrs. Thomas, she will report that we have
roast. They look out the back window and sure enough, we can just see the eyes
of someone looking through the fence.
Mrs. Archer
Roger go outside and burn the trash
right now and blow the smoke over the fence.
Roger
Why Mom….
Mrs. Archer
Just make lots of smoke so no one
will smell what we are about to eat.
Scene: We watch as the young boy
starts the fire and then a ring at the front door.
Scene: Mrs. Archer answers the front
door and it’s her neighbor Mrs. Thomas
Mrs. Archer
Hello Mrs. Thomas how are you today?
Mrs. Thomas
Do you smell beef cooking?
Mrs. Archer
Noooooo, why?
Mrs. Thomas
I guess I am dreaming it….looking
thru and around the door.
Mom trying to block her view>
Mrs. Archer
Well thank you for coming over, Good
day to you.
They close the door and watch her
walk away but she turns and looks but a few times and sniffs the air. The 4 of them are laughing and enter the
Kitchen where the fine dinner is awaiting them.
Scene: Grace is said before the start, blessing the
food and hoping all is protected in the war.
Mrs Archer and Mary Ann portion out
the meat and potatoes and carrots, Chuck is offered the gravy bowl which he
uses and comments that his mother makes some fine gravy he misses. Chuck
comments on the gravy in the mess hall, and how it’s brown and that’s about all
you can say about it, they all laugh.
Mrs. Archer
I hope I can do better for you today.
Chuck
Kitchen Table, Chuck takes a bite of
roast and gravy, they watch him…Oh….wow, Oh this is good, this is really good,
more than good, it’s great, its outstanding.
(they all smile) The roast is wonderful but they gravy, I have never had
such good gravy, not even from my mother. What is it a secret receipt passed
down from your family?
Mrs. Archer
You are too kind Chuck, but the
secret ingredient is “Bisto Gray Mix” Mary Ann laughs.
Chuck
A gravy mix, why haven’t they sold
this in the United States I wonder, someone could make a fortune from selling
this. I am going to check on this when I get home.
Mrs Archer
Bisto gravy mix is a staple of
English cooking, and has been around for a long time.
Chuck
Well the mix is good but your cooking
is what makes it “perfecto”. Thank you for inviting me for a home cooked meal.
Mary Ann
Your welcome, but we should thank
you. We haven’t had such good food in a very long time. You must of done a very
big favor for the mess hall cook to get all of this.
Mrs Archer
What favor did you do for the cook?
Chuck
He is always looking for things to
mail home to his wife, so I get things for him.
Scene: the dinner conversation turns
to the American Indians as Chuck tells the story of his great great great great
grandfather who fought the Indians in 1774 at the battle of Point Pleasant in
West Virginia. At the dinners end Chuck is embraced by Mrs. Archer and good
byes are said. Mary Ann walks Chuck down to the train station.
Chuck
Mary Ann Thank you for letting me
come and meet your family. …..You are so beautiful. They kiss in front of the
train stations as passengers by them by without any notice.
Mary Ann
What will happened with us?
Chuck
I don’t know, look at you,. You’re so
stunning, why hasn’t someone married you?
Mary Ann
I guess not many keepers are book
readers, she smiles. They hold each other.
Chuck
I have heard that we might be
transferred to france, if that happens I will get word to you at the store.
Scene: the embrace for what will be
the last long kiss. They don’t want to let go, but the sound of the train bell
makes them release, looking back at each other as they walk away.
Scene: July 4, 1944 Headquarters 439th
Troop Carrier Group, Col. Young’s orderly desk:
Sir, here are your special orders,
hands them to Chuck. They read as follows:
- F/O Charles E. Skidmore Jr., Ac
T 121 691 is placed on temp duty for Approx Three (3) days, WF o/a 4 July
44 to ALG A-83 for the purpose of delivering a government vehicle to: Lt.
Col. Edward Newman 9th AF Corps of Engineers HQ., Bristol
England. Upon completion of temp
duty O will return to proper orgn and ata. TDN by MT or Mil acft. 60-114 P 432-01-02-02-04-05-06-07-08 A
212/50425. Auth: TWX 50TCWN 561G,
HQ, 50th Tr Carr Wg. Dated 4 July 44
- Travel directed is pursuant to
authority contained in Ltr, Hq, European T of Opns, USA, dated 24 May 1944
By order of Col. Young
- Signed Vincent E. Miller, Captain, Air Corps, Adjutant
Scene: Foleys Bookstore, Airman
leaves a letter for Mary Ann from
Charles: Be ready sitting on your door stoop
Saturday morning 6am,I am picking you up with transportation and were spending
the weekend out of town, be back Sunday night, Love Chuck
Saturday Morning: Chuck pulls up in
front of Mary Anns house in the jeep, she has a surprised look on her face but
also excited, she gets in and puts a cloth bag in the back.
Mary Ann
How did you get this and for the
weekend?
Chuck
It’s a special duty order, I am
delivering the jeep to a Lt. Col. in Bristol and I am going to show you a
special place near there. It’s a small hamlet called Mayshill. You ever heard
of it?
Mary Ann
No, but I have been to Bristol area
and its pretty this time of year.
Chuck
When my group arrived in England we
were stationed near there and I saw this small inn and pub one day when we flew
over it doing glider exercises. It turned out to be a fantastic place, the Inn
owner is a Mrs. Hughes, I call her my Georgia Peach because she was so good to
all the Glider Pilots, and I pinched her arm one …I told her she tasted sweet
like a Georgia peach and she laughed and the nickname stuck.
Scene: they make the 120 miles drive
with one stop eating a lunch Mary Ann brought arriving in late afternoon at the
Mayshill Inn. They park the jeep and enter the Inn, its crowded with English
and American military men, but he soon see Mrs. Hughes in the crowd and calls
her name….Hey “Georgia Peach”, she hears him and runs over to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Mrs. Hughes
Flight Officer Skidmore, how
wonderful to see you again, I missed that smile.
Chuck
Mrs. Hughes I want to meet a good
friend, Mary Ann Archer.
(Mary Ann and Mrs. Hughes Hug)
Mrs. Hughes
Chuck, she is a beauty….
Chuck
I know and (winks at her….) I found
her in a book store, how about that…
Mrs. Hughes
I bet he ask you about Robin Hood didn’t
he?
Mary Ann
Yes how did you know?
Mrs. Hughes
The first night he was in here he ask
me if this was where Robin Hood was from, I thought he was making a joke but he
wasn’t.
(They both laugh)
Chuck
Mrs. Hughes I hope you can put us up
for the night.
Mrs. Hughes
You can stay with me tonight, my
youngest son joined up and is training to be a RAF pilot, so you can have his
room.
Chuck
You sure that’s ok, he gives her a
hug and a kiss.
Mrs. Hughes
You Americans are sure a bunch of
kissing bandits…
(Mary Ann shakes her head to agree)
Scene: Chuck and Mary Ann are lead
outside by Mrs. Hughes to her house located near the Inn behind a large row of
trees and enter a small room, it’s covered with small wooden airplanes hanging
from the ceiling, which she finds interesting.
Mrs. Hughes
If you both need anything just come
and find me.
(Chuck and Mary Ann thank her again
for the nice accommodations)
Scene: the small bedroom,
Chuck has taken off his tie and shirt and
drops them on the chair near the bed. He turns around to see Mary Ann taking
off her shirt and skirt gently laying them on the vanity. She turns around he
is standing in front of her. He puts his hand on her breast and can feel her
heart beating rapidly, she unclasp her bra and lets it fall to the floor. They
look into each other’s eyes and embrace for a long kiss. Chuck takes off his
pants and socks while watching her finishing disrobing until they are both nude
standing before each other. Chuck gently picks her up and lays her on the bed
lying beside her, they kiss and he rolls over on top of her kissing her neck
and lips, she grabs his back, we can see the red marks her fingers make as she holds him tighter and
tighter , they kiss many more times . As they make love we hear her whimper and
moan with pleasure many times. As the love making continues we see the sweat
rolling off their bodies onto the bed sheets. They make love more than once
that night, Eventually they both fall asleep in each other’s embrace waking up
to the sounds of birds outside the
window and the morning sunlight coming into the room.
Scene: the next morning they thank
Mrs Hughes and say goodbye and drive into the city of Bristol where Chuck
enters the front lobby of the 9th HQ Corps of Engineers talking to
the orderly at the front desk.
Chuck
I have a Jeep transfer for a Lt. Col
Edward Newman, (he hands the orderly his orders)
Orderly
The Col was expecting the Jeep
yesterday.
Chuck
I wasn’t given an exact time for
delivery as it states on the order. I need you to sign both copies for
delivery.
Orderly
Let’s go outside so I can take a
look.
They both walk out into the courtyard
area and view the jeep, where the orderly signs both copies and hands them to
Chuck and says “Thank You Sir”
Chuck
Can you tell me how to get to the
train station from here?
Orderly
Sure no Problem, just a sec….
(The Orderly Motions to a solider
standing near.) Will you take this Officer and lady to the train station and
(points his finger) and come straight back…..
Chuck
Thanks a lot for the ride. (Chuck
helps Mary Ann into the back seat and he follows.)
Scene: The train ride back to London.
Mary tells Chuck about her family and what life was like in London before the
war. Chuck talks about his grandfather the mayor of the town he grew up in.
Scene: the train enters Victoria
station and they get off walking outside hand in hand to get a cab to Mary
Ann’s house. They arrive home and he tells the cabby to wait, Chuck walks Mary
Ann to the front door: I had a wonderful time with you, I want to be with you
all the time. Mary Ann has a sad look in her eyes.
Chuck
You know I really love you don’t you?
Mary Ann
How can that be, your married
Chuck
Tell me you love me too.
Mary Ann
I do love you Chuck, but I am
confused.
Chuck
I love you so much, I will get word
to you at the store when I can get leave, and he touches her check and kisses
her
Scene: Training accident, 1944 Uppotery Air Field England:
After D-Day the Glider Pilots training continued on a daily basis and at
a morning briefing, the Major said they were going to conduct some glider
snatch exercises and wanted to know if anyone in the group had done it before.
Chuck looked around and no one raised their hands so he raised his, his friend
sitting next to him commented that he didn’t know he had done it before. Chuck
smiled and said he hadn’t but always wanted to try it.
That afternoon on the air field the glider is prepared and the tow line
attached to the poles waiting for the C-47 to snatch it.
Chucks sitting inside the hot glider waiting for the C-47 to take off and
make its run to pick up his Glider. He watches as the C-47 makes his turn and
lines up to grab the nylon tow rope.
Chuck hears the sound of the engines at full throttle, and whoosh…. They miss the tow line and roar by about 20
feet off the ground.
Chuck watches as the C-47 makes another turn around for a 2nd
try….once again the C-47 roars towards the Glider and once again misses the tow
line. We see Chucks face starting to sweat… dripping down on your flight suit.
As the C-47 fly’s off chuck is wondering if this was such a good idea to
volunteer for.
From inside the glider we see Chuck starting to look at his controls and
the tow lines outside. Chuck also see the support men outside running and
yelling about something which starts his head turning in all directions
wondering what is upsetting them. Chuck strains to see the C-47 coming in and
once again sees the support men waving their arms up… up, the plane is coming
in too low. Chucks grip of the glider wheel is tightening and his knuckles are red
and sweat is dripping off his fingers. He hears the engines and this time sees
the tow line snap upward, his eyes are on the line on the ground as it snaps
upward and then he feels the powerful jerk as his glider is pulled down the
field and into the air. Chuck pulls on
the wheel and puts pressure on the rudders and the glider levels out. The
glider is rising and level and then Chuck hears a loud snap, he sees the tow
line coming back and it hits the front window of the glider, his eyes glance
down at the altitude gauge and it shows 400 feet, then he sees his speed
dropping and is way too slow so he put the glider into a steep dive and turns
back towards the field hoping to make it back. As the seconds go by he sees the
field with a row of trees at its edge he must get over. As he nears the row of
trees he thinks it will be ok, but unfortunately his tow line is hanging down
below him and as he flys over the row of tress, the line is hitting the
branches and catches a few limbs, and causes the gliders speed to slow and the
nose to drop….we see the glider pancake to the ground from about 75 feet
crashing hard, the right wing breaks off. The men rush over to help, Chuck is
hurt and shaken up. A piece of steel is sticking through his right foot. Chuck
will spend the next 5 days in the hospital and another 4 weeks on temporary
duty as the 439th group Information Officer while his foot heals.
Scene: Chuck and Mary Ann will meet
many times over the next 2 months renting bikes to ride around Hyde Park having
more picnics and attending many movies and plays. Until Chuck calls her one day
at the store that his group has orders to go to france and all leaves are
cancelled and he can’t leave the base. Chuck
will write Mary Ann many times while in france.
(Training continued at Upottery until September 1944
When the 439th was alerted to move to
Juvincourt, France
(ALG A-68) as the vanguard of the 50th
troop Carrier
Wing. The
movement of equipment and personnel took
Several days, but the air echelon returned to England
the
Following week to take part in the invasion of Holland
Scheduled
to begin on September 17, 1944. (CONTINUED)
EXT. DAY
OPERATION MARKET GARDEN
Scene: the day of Sept 16, 1944 pre Operation Market Garden, Chuck goes
out to the flight line to inspect his
Glider, he will be carrying a trailer with 800 pounds of land mines and 2
passengers. The mission will take 4 hours flight time to the landing zone.
Chucks flags down the Captain as he passes in a jeep:
SKIDMORE
Captain, who is my Co-Pilot for this mission?
CAPATAIN
The Captain smiles ….No you’re loaded with 800 pounds of land mines and
the Colonel didn’t want to lose two pilots on this mission, you will be flying
lone this trip.
As Chuck talks to the Captain
about his flight he hears a familiar voice,
HAMER
Skids… is that you?
SKIDMORE
Chuck turns around to see his friend Bud Hamer, what in the world you
doing here?
HAMER
I am pulling you into Holland buddy.
They embrace…
SKIDMORE
Congratulations on the promotion to 1st Lt.
HAMER
Bud smiles…. Lots of hard work and kissing up to the major.
They both laugh….
HAMER
I am glad to see your still flying, I had heard that you got into the
glider pilots program and I just missed seeing you when I was training at
Sedalia Army Air Field in Missouri. I had heard you were down at Miami Oklahoma
doing glider training, but by the time I got some leave your squadron had been
sent to Bowman field in Kentucky.
_______________________________________________________________________
4 AM the morning of Sept 17, 1944
Operation Marker Garden.
The two meet in the morning for the squadron mission briefing.
GROUP
COMMANDER
This will be a long flight today, around 4 hours but we need to get into
Holland un detected, and the route will be over the North Sea and then back
south into Holland. You all have your landing zones. I want to make it clear
that if any of the C-47 pilots cut the gliders loose early or drop them way off
target, because of flak …..You had just better keep flying and not return to
the base because I will be waiting for you and a courts martial. This is an important
mission, we need to get the re supply’s in before the Germans can make a
counter attack.
Operation Market Garden: Chuck’s takeoff and landing position will be
number 19 out of 22 gliders so he is concerned about finding a clear spot for
his landing.
Mission take off:
Chuck arrives at his Glider
for a per flight inspection of the glider and the equipment he will be carrying
and his 2 passengers, a 6ft 2, burly airborne sergeant and another soldier.
As Chuck gets into the glider
carrying his parachute, the army sergeant has a few words for him.
AIRBORNE SERGEANT
HEY!!! Don’t even think about putting on that parachute, you would never
get out of this plane alone.
SKIDMORE
Chuck smiles, and replies back: I never wear it, I use it for a seat
cushion
AIRBORNE SERGEANT
Oh,…. just wanted to make sure you understood you weren’t leaving us here
if something happens.
SKIDMORE
No problem sergeant. Strap yourself in back there.
INT COCKPIT
CHUCK
(Chuck is next in line for
hookup, when someone
Appears climbing over the
jeep and into
The co-pilots seat. In full
combat dress
And carrying a Thompson
Machine gun
is Warrant Officer Walter F.
Domanski,
The assistant engineering
officer of the
91st TC squadron.
)
CHUCK
What the hell you doing
here?
DOMANSKI
Hi, got room for one more
don’t you…..
CHUCK
Yes , but you’re not
supposed to be here.
DOMANSKI
I am tired of
missing all the action…… Big smile
CHUCK
What happens when the
Colonel finds out
Your AWOL and on the way to
Holland?
DOMANSKI
Well, guess he will send
someone to
come and get me. But they have to
find me first.
HAMER
Plane to Glider intercom: Were next for takeoff, everything ok with you
Chuck.
SKIDMORE
Yes, I am ready, try and give me a smooth ride over the north seas.
HAMER
Will do what I can to make it smooth for you and your load, don’t want
any big bumps with your load of land mines.
SKIDMORE
I appreciate that, they both laugh.
________________________________________________________________________
Scene: aerial view of the 2 troop
carrier groups ( over 100 aircraft and gliders) flying in formation over the north seas with
chatter between the pilots and co-pilots in the C-47’s and Glider’s
________________________________________________________________________
2 hours into the mission, talking over the intercom system
SKIDMORE
Bud have you heard if the landing zone is still clear or has any Germans
around it?
HAMER
The chatter on the radio is that it’s still clear for us, they are
experiencing heavy flak in some landing zones but not ours so far.
SKIDMORE
What were those ships we flew over a while back?
HAMER
2 English cruisers on the way to
Holland like us.
Scene: you can see the large
formation of planes starting to get into a line for the landing zone.
HAMER
Chuck were about 10 miles from the landing zone, get ready.
Tracer bullets can be seen coming from the ground.
(Near the end of the 90 mile
overland portion
of the flight the glider
began to take machine gun
ground fire from a windmill,
as the tracer
bullets came up it look like
a fiery whip coming
Towards him. Chuck sees a
few bullets hit the C-47 and he looks around the cockpit
In the back we see the 2 passengers quickly moving.
Note: For the two passengers in the back of the glider to communicate to
each other they must yell to be held over the sound of the wind rushing over
the gliders outer canvas skin and the shaking of the plywood seats and
flooring.
SOLDIER
Sergeant a bullet just came thru the floor by my foot, look.
AIRBORNE SERGEANT
Are you hurt?
SOLDIER
No, but look at the hole….(he looks up and sees the exit hole the bullet
made in the top of the
Glider and sunlight is coming in) the soldier turns and looks behind him
at the glider structure
And has a very surprised look on his face.
AIRBOURNE SERGEANT
If that bullet had it this trailer, filled with all these land mines….
they wouldn’t have been able to find enough of us to bury.
SOLDIER
ahaaaa… Sergeant, look at this, the glider is made up from just piping
joined together.
The Soldier takes his hand and rubs it on the heavy canvas covering the
shell of the Glider.
SOLDIER
This feels like the stuff my pup tent was made of back home ….wow
The Sergeant also rubs the canvas
siding and comments.
AIRBORNE SERGEANT
They makes these gliders cheap, only takes them about 1 hour to put them
together.
SOLDIER
Really?
AIRBORNE SERGEANT
Looking at the young soldier…..You scared?
SOLDIER
Yes I am for sure…..
AIRBORNE SERGEANT
Well I am too, anyone that’s says different when going into battle is a
liar. So don’t worry, You just do what I say and we both will be ok. When we
land I will get out of the glider and you will stay in here and help push out
the trailer.
SOLDIER
Ok.
AIRBORNE SERGEANT
Double check your gear and rifle,… we hear the bolt check from the
soldier .
SKIDMORE
Buddy thanks for the ride over, seeya in a few days hopefully….you take
care and have a safe trip back to England.
Scene: view from below of the 3 formations of C-47’s pulling the Gliders.
SKIDMORE
Look…. the Germans are shooting at
The column…….Just then the C-47 Tow plane
In front of Chucks glider
takes a
direct hit in the right
engine
and goes into a steep dive
pulling
the glider down with him.
Scene: C-47 going down engine on fire, glider still in tow.
DOMANSKI
Oh my god, cut loose, cut
loose…….
(He watches the two planes
as they
Plummet towards the ground)
SKIDMORE
Do you see any parachutes?
Is anybody getting out?
DOMANSKI
No, Nobody got out…… I
didn’t see any chutes.
SKIDMORE
I always knew you wouldn’t
have enough
Time to get out of these
gliders.
I guess that’s why we use
these
Parachutes for cushions…..
HAMER
Chuck, Disconnect in 5,4,3,2,1
__________________________________________________________________________
Chuck pulls the cutoff
handle and puts Glider goes into a steep dive turning to the left looking for a
spot to land his Glider. It’s at that moment Chuck feels someone rapping on his
helmet, its
One of his passengers, the
burly airborne sergeant screaming:
AIRBORNE SERGEANT
What the Hell you doing….
Slow this S.O.B. Down!!!
Not able to fly the glider
and fight off the sergeant at the same time,
Chuck continues the look for a
landing spot….its at this moment that chuck gets some help..
DOMANSKI
Resting his Thompson Machine gun on the
The sergeants shoulders …….
If you don’t get back in the
back I’ll
Slow you down permanently.
AIRBORNE SERGEANT
Since the sergeant had left
his weapon
In the back of the glider,
and probably
Because he sensed that
discretion was
The better part of valor, he
beat a hasty
Retreat to the back of the
glider.
SKIDMORE
Thanks, Walter…I wasn’t sure
what I was going to do.
EXT LANDING ZONE
HOLLAND 1:30PM
Chuck lands the glider with
no injury’s to him or
The passengers, but the
field he has landed in
Is overgrown with giant
Beets, which have
Torn up the bottom of the
glider.
Chuck helps unload the
trailer and
A few minutes a jeep arrives
to tow the
Trailer away.
SKIDMORE
Walter, good luck guy, you
keep your
head down and your ass further down…..
they both make a forced
smile, then shake hands.
DOMANSKI
So long Chuck, thanks for
the free ride…….
Within 6 hours Domanski
would take out 2 German machine gun nest
and kill 2 Germans in hand to hand combat, and for this action he would be
recommended for the Silver Star.
Chuck starts his trek back to the
coast and then to his base in England.
Walking most of the way and
Catching a ride
when he can.
The end of the third day chucks finds
A burned out farm house and
.
EXT
FARM HOUSE (CONTINUED) .
A collapsed potato shed with some
Empty potato sacks, which he uses to cover
himself with for the night.
CHUCK
Daylight arrives and just as chuck is ready to leave,
Germans are arriving in a truck. His
Heart is beating so fast and the sweat is starting
To run down his face into his eyes.
He doesn’t move, there is a German officer
Giving orders,
then he hears more trucks. Within
A few minutes later they move out back
on the road,
going in the direction chuck has
just come from.
. EXT
EMPTY ROAD
CHUCK
Sounds of a vehicle coming towards him
Very fast…..he get down in the ditch…..
Its a jeep with an American Infantryman
Driving, Chuck
jumps up waving….
The jeep comes
to comes to a screeching halt
Raising a small cloud of dust and dirt.
JEEP DRIVER
What the world
you doing out here alone,
I was ready to
shoot at you …jumping
Up like that.
You alone?
CHUCK
Yes I am .
. EXT
JEEP - DAY JEEP
DRIVER
You know the Germans are right
Down the road!
Get in here…
Man you are lucky, if you had missed me
You would have been dead or in a prison camp.
(CONTINUED
CHUCK
Yes, I had a close call with some
German trucks
Early this morning.
(The jeep raises dirt and gravel as the
driver takes
off down the road as fast
as he can go towards the coastal area
and the American and British lines.)
. EXT DAY
- AIR CORPS AIRFIELD
The driver drops Chuck off at a temporary
Air evacuation
Air Field.
CHUCK
Corporal, Thanks for stopping for me…….
JEEP DRIVER
Salutes…..Good Luck Sir…..
. EXT DAY
- AIRFIELD OPERATIONS SHACK
CHUCK
Salutes….Sir I am with the 439th glider
Group, can I catch a ride back to England?
MAJOR
Are you C-47 Rated?
CHUCK
Yes Sir, co-pilot.
MAJOR
Right outside, they are loading
some wounded,
you tell Captain
Fleck,
I sent you to fly Co-pilot this trip. (CONTINUED)
EXT DAY – C-47
CHUCK
Captain Fleck. I am flying Co-Pilot this trip.
CAPTAIN FLECK
Welcome aboard…..I heard it was bad for you
Glider pilots…..was it
CHUCK
Well…. I saw one glider go down, still
Attached to the C-47, and had another C-47
Fly just over my landing zone on fire….I could see
The Tail Number, I knew the Pilot, there were no
survivors.
CAPTAIN FLECK
It should be an easy trip back….
Will you do the pre flight check,
And we will get out of here and have a beer
At the officers club in England
In a few hours.
. EXT
DAY - C-47 TAKING OFF
FADE
IN COCKPIT Pilots powers up engines
TAKE
OFF FADE OUT
The
next group Glider Mission will be for the Battle of the Bulge and a supply
mission to Bastogne but chuck will not be chosen to fly on this mission. For
the remainder of the war Chuck will remain in France his only contact with Mary
Ann, writing her weekly letters. The group’s glider training will continue with
weekly with C-47 tow practice. The final
European Glider Mission will be the Rhine River Crossing March 24, 1945. Finally at the Wars end Chuck receives his
orders to go back home via the ship General William Mitchell leaving from the
port Cherbourg and the ship will not stop in England, Chuck is heartbroken, he
will not get to say good bye he does not
know what to say to his love….. He mails her a last letter and package arriving
at the book store.
Scene:
foleys bookstore closing hour:
Salesgirl
Mary Ann hurry up we will miss the bus, don’t forget
your package from your American, Chuck, it was late arriving today in the post.
Mary Ann
Where, where is it frantically looking around?
Salesgirl
It’s on the back counter, Hurry….
Mary Ann
She sees the large package, grabs her jacket and the
package, running out the front door. Running to catch the back of the bus and a
seat next to her friend.
Scene:
we see Mary Ann looking at the package and tearing off the wrapping, an
envelope falls on her lap which she picks up and opens. Her eyes looking at the
lines on the papers, reading as fast as she can. (My dearest love Mary Ann, by
the time you get this I will be on my way home on the ship, my glider group is
leaving from France and will not stop in England, I ask if they had a reason
for this and was told they wanted to get the men home as fast as possible. The
say God has a plan for all of us, but I don’t understand, why God would make it
possible for us to meet and love and not stay together. When we were together,
I thought how lucky I was to have you in my life. I don’t know what is in store for me when I
get back home, but I thank god for allowing me to know and love you. Some young
man is out there today not knowing just how lucky he is going to be, when he has
you inter his life. Thank you my Lovely
Mary Ann I will never forget you. Love Chuck…. P.S. you have asked me many
times what favors I did to get the things I brought you, it seems my artistic
sketching abilities are better than my flying. The mess hall cook has 4 kids
and I did drawings of each of his children and a nice sketch of him and his
wife to mail home. He was very appreciative made sure I had some things to
bring to you.
Her fingers are crimping the edges of the
letter, she looks out the window with great sadness in her eyes. She drops the
letter and slowly opens the package, tears start coming down her cheeks. It’s a
picture double frame: On one side is a pencil sketch of her smiling, she
remembers Chuck took some photos of her at the park and this is a drawing from
one of the photos, at the bottom it has Mary Ann Archer London 1944 and on the
other side it’s a self-portrait of Chuck, signed Flight Officer Charles E.
Skidmore 91 sqdn 439th TCG London 1944. Her friend comments with
excitement how wonderful the portraits are. Mary Ann looks out the bus window
as the scene fades to the blue sky and the following script below rolls onto
the screen:
-THE END-
(Continued)
Of the 6,750 Men who volunteered for the Army Air
Corps Glider Program, at the war’s end only 3,000 would be going home to their families.
The Life
Expectancy of Pilots in Combat was:
BOMBER
PILOTS – 1 HR, 46 MIN
FIGHTER
PILOTS – 19 MIN
GLIDER
PILOTS – 17 SECONDS
As of January 2019
less than 35
World War II Combat Glider Pilots are still alive.
(CONTINUED)
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